Chapter116 – Wild animal
Phoenix smiled, resting an arm along the pool wall as she sipped from her own glass. Then, her voice lowered just a touch, her words casual.
“Clarissa... are you in love with someone?”
The question hit like a ripple in still water.
Clarissa’s fingers faltered. The glass in her hand tipped, spilling a few drops of wine.
She sat up straighter, flustered. “What? No, of course not. Why would you even ask that?”
But her quick denial only made it more obvious.
Phoenix smiled faintly and downed the rest of her drink in a single gulp. Then, without warning, she leaned in and wrapped an arm around Clarissa’s bare shoulders, pulling her close.
Clarissa blinked, confused. “Phoenix? What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Phoenix murmured, resting her forehead gently against Clarissa’s neck. “I’ve just missed you. That’s all.”
Clarissa softened. Her expression relaxed and she wrapped her arms around Phoenix, giving her a full-bodied hug.
“Okay, okay,” she said with a laugh. “Big hug. Don’t say I’m stingy.”
Phoenix froze for a beat, caught off guard. Then her hands slowly rose and closed around Clarissa’s back, holding her tightly.
The woman in her arms felt impossibly warm, impossibly real—and yet nothing like the Clarissa she used to know.
Sometimes Phoenix wondered if she was dreaming. And if she was… she never wanted to wake up.
“Clarissa…” she whispered.
“Hm?”
“If you ever fall in love with someone… promise me you’ll tell me.”
After soaking for nearly twenty minutes, the two of them climbed out of the hot spring. The alcohol had flushed Clarissa’s cheeks, and her entire body felt warm and tingly.
Phoenix led her to a private massage room for a full-body treatment, followed by a beauty ritual. When it was over, Clarissa felt like her entire soul had exhaled.
She sat under a blooming cherry tree in a loose, silken bathrobe, her bare legs curled beneath her as she sipped slowly from a glass of sakura wine. Phoenix sat beside her, equally relaxed, the petals drifting around them like pink snow.
Clarissa gazed up at the sky. The moon hung full and luminous, round like a polished disc, glowing behind the veil of falling blossoms. It was breathtaking.
And yet… she couldn’t stop her thoughts from wandering. What is Atticus doing right now?
At first, she’d been terrified he might show up to drag her back, that he’d make a scene. She didn’t want anyone to know what had happened between them. It was a source of shame and confusion she couldn’t begin to untangle.
She knew it was irrational, but she couldn’t help it.
Yet as the days passed and Atticus never came, the fear eased—only to be replaced by something worse: a gnawing sense of unease.
Had he calmed down? Or had he… moved on?
She tried to shove the thought away, but his face kept appearing in her mind. His voice. His eyes. His touch.
She took another sip of the cherry blossom wine. Then another. Then another.
By the time she emptied the small bottle, she reached for a second—only for Phoenix’s hand to close gently over her wrist.
“Slow down,” Phoenix said softly. “It may taste sweet, but that wine’s strong..”
Clarissa gave her a lazy smile and set the cup aside. “I’m not as delicate as you think.”
Phoenix studied her. “You’ve been distracted this whole week. I heard you took a half-month leave from work. That’s not like you.”
It was why Phoenix had invited her out here in the first place. They’d already been at the villa for a week. Clarissa’s leave ended the day after tomorrow.
Clarissa, who usually dragged Atticus everywhere with her, hadn’t brought him this time. Not even once.
The more Phoenix thought about it, the more suspicious she became.
Clarissa looked down, lashes low, hiding her expression. “I’ve just been tired lately. Work’s been exhausting. I needed a break, that’s all.”
“Did someone give you trouble?” Phoenix’s tone dropped, cool and sharp.
Clarissa laughed lightly. “No, no. Nothing like that. Just… the workload’s been insane. I’m not desperate for money, so I figured, why burn myself out?”
She leaned back on the curved wooden lounge, skin glowing beneath the soft lantern light. The wine had tinted her cheeks, her robe slipping slightly at the collarbone, revealing just a hint of smooth, pale skin.
She looked effortlessly elegant—like some rare white Persian cat, beautiful and untouchable.
Phoenix stared for a beat too long, then exhaled slowly. “Clarissa, you have no idea how gorgeous you are. Any man who lays eyes on you would turn into a wild animal on the spot.”
Clarissa blinked. Her smile faltered. Wild animal.
Wasn’t there already a little wolf cub waiting for her back home? One she’d raised herself?
She gave a soft, bitter laugh. “It’s not as dramatic as you make it sound.”
“I’m not exaggerating at all,” Phoenix murmured. She lay down beside her, propping her head on one hand as she looked at Clarissa. “If I were a man, I would’ve married you the moment I met you.”
Clarissa turned her head. Then she laughed—low, a little tipsy. “Oh? That would’ve been perfect. If you married me, I wouldn’t have to…”
“Wouldn’t have to what?” Phoenix asked gently.
Clarissa shook her head. “Nothing. Men are a headache. Dating is a mess. Being single is so much easier.”
She popped a cherry into her mouth, her lips parting delicately around the fruit, the movement languid and sensual without her even trying.
Phoenix’s breath caught. She looked away quickly, trying to tamp down the heat rising inside her. The air suddenly felt too thick, too close.
She looked up at the moon. “Clarissa…”
“Hm?” Clarissa answered, voice dreamy.
“I wish I really was a man.”
If I were a man, Phoenix thought, maybe my life wouldn’t be this hard. Maybe I wouldn’t have to fight so hard for everything. Maybe… maybe I could love you properly.
She clenched her fists as the thought slipped in like a knife.
Clarissa blinked at her, surprised. She studied Phoenix’s face, then reached out.
“Phoenix,” she said softly. “Look at me.”
Their eyes met.
Clarissa’s voice was quiet but steady. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman. You’re Phoenix. That’s enough. You’re more than enough—always have been.”
Phoenix froze, the words struck deep.
“Phoenix? Phoenix?”
Clarissa called her name again, and Phoenix blinked, coming back to herself.
She met Clarissa’s eyes. “I’m okay… I just remembered something, that’s all.”
“What is it?”
Phoenix smiled faintly. “Nothing. Just… thank you.”
Clarissa smiled too, a soft, affectionate curve of her lips. “Don’t be silly. We’re friends. You don’t need to thank me for that.”
Phoenix stood, brushing her robe smooth. “It’s getting late. We should go to bed.”
Clarissa yawned, stretching languidly. “Yeah. I’m getting sleepy too.”
Phoenix stepped closer and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “Clarissa, we’re heading back tomorrow. Sleep with me tonight, just like old times.”
Clarissa leaned into her warmth without hesitation. “Sure,” she murmured, smiling. “Let’s.”
That night, the two women stayed up late, talking and laughing in the soft warmth of the room until they finally fell asleep.
The next morning, Clarissa woke up to find Phoenix wrapped around her like a human octopus, one long leg slung across her body, arms holding her tightly.
She groaned and tried to push her off, but Phoenix only clung tighter.
“Mmm… good days always pass too fast,” Phoenix muttered, half-asleep. “I really don’t want to go back to work.”